Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Spice, Bananie and I went to Pennsylvania this weekend to ski and snowboard. I will have to post about it tomorrow because it was Spice's first time on a snowboard. I also have to post this picture because it cracks me up. We had to share a bed at the house we stayed at.



Spice is on the left. I'm on the right. Note that Spice is reading a Sookie Stackhouse book and I am reading a trashy chick book. Don't you feel better about yourself now? ;)

And of course, immediately upon our return, Spice started making cinnamon rolls and I made these Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. Good thing we have a big kitchen...

I am very critical of cupcakes. I really like the cake to be dense and love the frosting to work with the cake and not overtake it.

Although I LOVED both the cake and frosting, I think the frosting overshadowed the cake. It was so decadent and chocolatey! I think it is my new favorite frosting! But I do think it needs to go with a chocolate cupcake. I liked the cupcake too! I think it would be better with a vanilla buttercream.



Chocolate Chip Cupcakes from Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book

3 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)

1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

7 ounces (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

5 large egg whites, room temperature

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Combine milk and vanilla together. Add to sugar mixture and beat until combined. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with wet ingredients and ending with dry. Scrape sides of bowl.

Beat egg whites to stiff peaks, and fold into batter. Fold in chocolate chips. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes about 22 minutes. Frost and serve immediately.

Dark Chocolate Frosting from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Book

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Pinch of salt

1 pound best-quality semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Combine cocoa and the boiling water, stirring until cocoa has dissolved. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the cocoa mixture. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 days, or frozen up to 1 month, in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again.